CVASPA one of Italy’s leading 100% renewable energy producers managing 81 wind turbines across Italy, partnered with Tidalis, a specialist Drone-as-a-Service inspection provider, to replace traditional crane-based Lightning Protection System (LPS) continuity testing with the Voliro T robotic drone platform.
The result: Italy’s first drone-based LPS inspection programme, cutting per-turbine inspection costs from ~€5,000 to a fraction of that and making systematic fleet-wide LPS monitoring economically viable for the first time.
45–50 minutes per turbine. A complete three-blade LPS continuity inspection (from arrival under the turbine to departure) takes 45 to 50 minutes at most with the Voliro T.
~€5,000 per turbine eliminated. Traditional aerial platform testing was quoted at approximately €5,000 per turbine, over €400,000 to test the full fleet once. The Voliro T makes fleet-wide testing economically viable for the first time.
Minimal turbine downtime. All three blades are inspected in a single drone flight, with near-zero ancillary costs and significantly reduced machine stop time compared to crane-based methods.
Proactive blade protection. Knowing LPS condition before lightning season allows CVA to repair degraded receptors proactively at a fraction of the cost of full blade replacement.
Lightning strikes are one of the most damaging and underestimated threats facing wind turbine operators. When a wind turbine’s Lightning Protection System (LPS) fails or degrades, a strike can cause catastrophic structural damage to the blade, requiring full replacement and resulting in extended turbine downtime and lost production.
We identified a serious recurring problem on our wind assets: blade damage caused by lightning strikes. In some cases we had to replace blades entirely. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of euros per replacement.” — Filippo, Head of Wind Operations, CVASPA
CVA had already replaced three blades due to lightning damage, each costing hundreds of thousands of euros. Filippo, Head of Renewable Energy Operations at CVA, made a decisive call: stop reacting to lightning damage and build a proactive maintenance programme that could protect the entire fleet before the next strike hits.
The conventional method for wind turbine LPS continuity testing uses an aerial work platform – essentially a large crane or lift – to physically reach the blade receptors. Faced with an economically unworkable status quo, Filippo began searching for an alternative and discovered Tidalis and the Voliro T. For CVA, this approach faced two critical barriers:
When CVA needed a better way, they found Tidalis – a specialist aerial inspection company with over 15 years of experience deploying advanced drone technologies across energy infrastructure and some of Italy’s most demanding terrain.
After an extensive evaluation of every available solution on the market, they selected the Voliro T as the only platform capable of meeting the precision, reliability, and flexibility that professional LPS inspection demands.
We chose Voliro after testing several solutions, for its innovative approach, its unique technology in the market, and above all because it guarantees us operational flexibility and reliability in inspection execution.” Federico Fattorini, CEO at Tidalis
That expertise translates directly into how Tidalis executes inspections on the ground. Their operators know every step of the workflow, every edge case, and every variable that affects measurement quality across different turbine models, rotor diameters, and site conditions
The Voliro T is a robotic drone equipped with a needle probe payload that makes stable physical contact with each blade receptor.
What makes the system unique is the tethered closed-loop circuit: the Voliro T carries a cable that runs from the blade receptor all the way down to the LPS Ground Station at the tower base, which is connected to a certified grounding point. This complete circuit enables a 4-wire resistance measurement compliant with IEC 61400-24, delivering quantitative milliohm readings, not just a pass or fail.
In Tidalis’ hands, the inspection workflow is precise and repeatable:
The Voliro T approaches each blade receptor, small metallic discs installed at the blade tip and at intervals along the blade, typically seven to nine per blade depending on rotor diameter.
The Voliro’s needle probe makes stable contact with each receptor, closing the full electrical circuit from blade tip to tower base.
A certified ohmmeter at the ground station records the resistance in real time, with every measurement linked directly to the correct receptor. All three blades can be completed in a single Voliro T flight.
That efficiency is not just about the drone. It reflects the operational maturity Tidalis has built through years of delivering inspections across CVA’s entire 81-turbine fleet, across remote mountain sites, narrow access roads, and conditions that would make traditional crane-based methods completely unworkable.
Our workflow is highly streamlined thanks to the platform we use. From our arrival under the turbine to departure, it typically takes 45 minutes, 50 minutes at most.” Flavio Angoli, Operations Manager at Tidalis
CVA and Tidalis have now worked together for three to four years, completing LPS continuity measurements across nearly all 81 turbines in CVA’s wind portfolio.
Following an extensive evaluation of available drone-based inspection technologies, Tidalis selected the Voliro T for three core reasons:
Lightning damage to wind turbine blades is a growing problem across the Italian and European wind sectors, driven by increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Preventive LPS monitoring. Delivered at scale through drone-based solutions like the Voliro T, represents the most cost-effective path to protecting wind assets, extending turbine operational lifespan, and reducing unplanned maintenance costs.
Voliro’s technology is genuinely at the forefront in Italy. CVA was a pioneer, the first operator on Italian territory to adopt drone-based LPS measurement. I think the wider sector still has significant catching up to do.” Filippo, Head of Wind Operations, CVASPA
Filippo has already recommended drone-based LPS testing to operators at other companies in the Italian wind industry, citing cost viability, operational simplicity, and predictive maintenance value as the key drivers. The success of CVA’s programme with Tidalis has laid the foundation for broader adoption and a scalable, repeatable model for LPS inspection across Italy’s wind sector.
Voliro develops the Voliro T — the world’s first omnidirectional robotic drone capable of applying controlled force in any direction. Designed for contact-based inspection and maintenance of complex structures, the Voliro T enables service providers like Tidalis to perform tasks that were previously only possible with cranes, scaffolding, or rope access teams. The Voliro T is used across wind energy, oil and gas, infrastructure inspection, and industrial maintenance applications globally.
Visit www.voliro.com to learn how operators and service providers across the world are making proactive LPS inspection the new standard.
CVA (Compagnia Valdostana delle Acque) is one of Italy’s leading 100% renewable energy producers, with over 25 years of experience and more than 1,000 MW of hydroelectric capacity in the Aosta Valley — the first Italian region to achieve fully local water and hydroelectric management. In recent years, CVA has diversified into wind and solar energy through its subsidiary Aqua EOS, and now manages 81 wind turbines totalling nearly 197 MW of installed capacity across Italy.
Website: www.cvaspa.it
Tidalis is a leading Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) provider specialising in advanced aerial photogrammetry, LiDAR mapping, and contact-based Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). Tidalis delivers drone-based LPS continuity inspections on wind turbines using the Voliro T robotic platform — enabling wind operators across Italy to replace crane-based testing with fast, reliable, and cost-effective drone inspections.
To learn how Tidalis can deliver Voliro T-based LPS continuity testing for your wind turbine fleet, contact Tidalis directly: Website: http://www.tidalis.aero, Phone: +39 031 3110300
